POSITION PLAYERS

After hitting .185 over the final two months in 2002, he has continued to struggled, batting .240 with a .308 on-base percentage and .325 slugging percentage. He has three home runs and 16 RBIs.

Scouting report:

Long swing.... Likes to extend his arms; smokes mistakes out over the plate.... Vulnerable inside.... Chases balls down and off the plate.... Slow behind the plate.... Lacks balance.... Reaches for balls.... Shows impressive arm strength, but his arm action is a little long and his footwork a little rough.

He has supplanted Gil as the Orioles' primary catcher the past few weeks. He is hitting .271 -- nine points above his career average -- with nine RBIs in 140 at-bats. He homered Saturday in a 9-2 victory over Toronto.

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The 37-year-old veteran is having another strong season, hitting .287 with 37 extra-base hits and a .477 slugging percentage. He ranks eighth in the AL with 63 RBIs.

Scouting report:

Quick, compact stroke.... Makes good contact.... Drives the ball in the gaps.... Doesn't elevate the ball much.... Versatile defensively.... Can play left field and third base, but has settled in at first in recent years.... Catches what he gets to.... Lacks mobility.... Veteran leader.

The switch-hitting 25-year-old scored at least once in nine consecutive games before the streak ended Sunday. He has a .291 batting average and has stolen 13 bases in 14 attempts.

Scouting report:

Handles the bat well.... Sprays line drives from both sides.... Shows occasional power.... Smooth infielder.... Has made a successful conversion to second base (from shortstop).... Turns the double play well.... Mentioned as the Orioles' future shortstop, but lacks left-side arm strength.

Though his ratio of strikeouts (55) to walks (16) is poor, he leads the Orioles with 15 home runs and ranks third behind Conine and Jay Gibbons with 58 RBIs. He is a career .256 hitter in eight big-league seasons.

Scouting report:

Aggressive approach.... Hits with an unorthodox, wide-open stance.... Dials up for fastballs and hooks the ball with power.... Vulnerable vs. offspeed stuff.... Stiff defensively.... Has reliable hands and a quick, accurate arm, but no range at all.

The former Tigers shortstop is hitting .268, right in line with his career average, and has 11 home runs -- two shy of his career high. But he has a lowly .280 on-base percentage (five walks in 76 games) and only one stolen base.

Scouting report:

Undisciplined hitter.... Has yet to see a pitch he didn't want to hack at.... Puts the ball in play.... Jerks inner-half mistakes.... Steady glove.... Features soft hands and a strong, accurate arm.... Doesn't have particularly good range.

The injury-prone former Mariner (1998-99) is batting .265 -- 26 points below his career average -- and has struck out 41 times in 185 at-bats. He had a career-high 103 RBIs with the Indians and Rangers in 2000.

Scouting report:

Switch-hitter.... Uses the whole field from the left side.... Inclined to be more of an opposite-field hitter right-handed.... Doesn't hit with enough power either way.... Slick first baseman.... Still has quick reactions and excellent hands, but has lost mobility to knee and Achilles' injuries.... Always hurt.

A 17-year veteran, the left-handed hitter is batting .320 in a part-time role, with two homers and 27 RBIs in 172 at-bats.

Scouting report:

Good contact hitter.... Not afraid to hit with two strikes.... Fouls off tough pitches until he gets one he can handle.... Sprays line drives.... Lacks the power he had several years ago.... Adequate outfielder.... Gets good reads off the bat, but his wheels betray him now.... Doesn't throw well anymore.

Grades:

Hitting

Power

Speed

Fielding

Arm strength

55

45

45

45

40

JAY GIBBONS, RF

Role:

No. 5 hitter

Numbers:

Gibbons, 26, has demonstrated power from the left side in parts of three major league seasons, hitting 57 home runs and slugging .481. After hitting .236 and .247 in his first two seasons, he is up to .280. He has 59 RBIs.

Scouting report:

Strong kid; Jeff Bagwell-type body.... Smokes high fastballs.... Launches tape-measure shots to left-center, right-center.... Impatient; gets himself out swinging at pitchers' pitches.... Below average right fielder.... Catches what he should catch, but his range and arm are both short.

After hitting .161, .275, .250 and .233 in his first four major league seasons, he leads the AL at .361, 12 points ahead of Ichiro. Just as surprising, he ranks second in slugging (.591) and first in on-base percentage (.457).

Scouting report:

Much-improved hitter.... Has tightened up his stroke and adopted a selective approach.... Works fastball counts and capitalizes.... Stays on top of the ball and drives it to all fields.... Outstanding athlete.... Can play anywhere in the infield or outfield, but is probably better in the outfield.

He has been red hot, going 18-for-43 (.419) during a nine-game hitting streak that ended Sunday. Matos, 24, has a .532 slugging percentage, and 10 stolen bases in 14 attempts.

Scouting report:

Quick bat.... Resembles a young Moises Alou as a hitter.... Drives the ball in the gaps.... Lacks some plate discipline.... Natural outfielder.... Gets good reads off the ball and tracks the ball well in all directions.... Plus runner and thrower.

Grades:

Hitting

Power

Speed

Fielding

Arm strength

55

50

60

65

60

PITCHERS

The 26-year-old native of Aruba is having a career season, ranking fourth in the AL with 11 wins and three complete games, and ninth with 83 strikeouts. He has held Seattle batters to a .234 average in four starts since 2001.

Scouting report:

Big, soft body; big-time arm.... May be maturing into a front-of-the-rotation starter.... Can reach 97 with his fastball, but has throttled back to 93, 94 to gain movement and command.... Complements his fastball with a hard, tilted slider.... Likes to finish off hitters with a split-like change.

A year after going 5-14 with a 4.59 ERA, Johnson, 29, is 7-3 with a 3.89 ERA in 16 starts. Opposing batters are hitting .272 against him.

Scouting report:

Complicated delivery.... Has trouble repeating his delivery and pitches.... Can dominate when he's in synch and maintaining control of his 93, 94-mph fastball.... Shows good movement up and down with his heater.... Mixes in a plus power curveball, slider and inconsistent change-up.

Lopez, 27, has had two consecutive strong starts, yielding a total of two earned runs over 13 1/3 innings while striking out 14. But his ERA remains aloft at 6.12, and opposing batters are hitting .326 against him.

Scouting report:

Sound delivery.... Hides the ball well.... Features a 91, 92-mph fastball with good sink and run.... Uses his fastball to both sides.... Commands a late, biting slider.... Shows a decent change-up, but doesn't trust it enough.... Inclined to be a two-pitch pitcher at times.... Lacks size and stamina.

A 20-game winner with Texas in 1998, Helling, 32, is 5-6 with a 5.81 ERA in his first season with Baltimore. He has failed to work into the seventh inning in his past six starts. He has yielded 17 homers in 96 innings.

Scouting report:

High-fastball pitcher.... Rides it up there 88 to 91 mph.... Pitches inside with it.... Changes the hitter's eye level with a tight downer curveball and straight change.... Has excellent motion with the change-up.... Prone to giving up the long ball.... Tough competitor.

Grades:

Overall stuff

Control

Change speed

Mound presence

Competitiveness

50

55

60

55

65

JORGE JULIO, right-hander

Role:

Closer

Numbers:

The 24-year-old native of Venezuela ranks seventh in the AL with 18 saves but has blown five opportunities and yielded 18 walks in 34 1/3 innings. He allowed two home runs Sunday in a 5-3 loss to Toronto.

Scouting report:

Armando Benitez clone.... An arm-strength reliever.... Overpowers hitters with a heavy, high-90s fastball that bores in on right-handers.... Throws 90 percent fastballs.... Shows a decent hard slider, but doesn't use it enough to keep hitters off his heater.

Grades:

Overall stuff

Control

Change speed

Mound presence

Competitiveness

70

40

30

40

55

BUDDY GROOM, left-hander

Role:

Set-up man

Numbers:

Groom, 37, is 1-3 with 12 holes and a 6.23 ERA in 33 appearances. Opposing batters are hitting .290 against him, and right-handers are hitting .300.

Scouting report:

Rubber arm.... Still reaches 93 mph with his fastball; cuts it in on right-handers at 88, 89 mph.... Runs a little change-up away from right-handers.... Freezes left-handers with a hard, sweeping breaking ball.... Has struggled with his mechanics for much of the season.